Vending device for cylindrical articles



y 1951 L. J. c. CATTANACH 2,562,015

VENDING DEVICE FOR CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES Filed May 18, 1950 2Sheets-Sheet l 450d 6 TTA/VACH FIG. 3.

L. J. c. CATTANACH VENDING DEVICE FOR CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES July 24, 29512 sheets-sheet 2 Filed May 18, 1950 PEG. 6

PEG "7 FIGQ.

' INVENTOR LEO u. c. mrmvncfl I Patented July 24, 1951 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE Leo J. 0.:Cattanach, Long Branch, N. J}, assignor to uicear C n-,'Mat an, N. 3-, a mmation of Delaware Application M y .18, 0,Sta-1.811110- 152,676

1 1 Claim. (01. 1941-10) My invention consists in a new and useful improvement in Devices. for vending liquid cone tainers and is intendedmore particularly for producin a novel machine which is automaticale 1ycoin operated for. Sale of cans of fruit and vegetable juices. Theparticularly novel and useful features of my improved device are (l) thecombination of a housing and a plurality of magazines mounted in thehousing, to be charged with theeontainers of various juices,respectively, and an automatic coin-operated mechanism for dispensingthe containers from selected magazines, (2) the combination of elementscomprising the dispensing mechanism, and (3)v the means for the controlof the passage of the cans through each magazine.

While I have illustrated in the drawings and have hereinafter fullydescribed certain specific embodiments of my invention, it is to bedistinctly understood that I do not consider my invention to be limitedto said specific embodiments, but refer for its scope to the claimappended hereto,

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a magazine and a vertical section of afragment of the housing of the device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation of the magazine viewed from the leftside of Fig. 4.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the magazine, similar to Fig. 2, butviewed from the right side of Fig. 4, a portion being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, in the directionof the arrows, showing the magazine fully charged with cans.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, similar to Fig. 4, showing the magazinepartially depleted.

Fig. 6 is a greatly enlarged fragment of Fig. 4, showing the dispensingmechanism in discharge position.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan of the dispensing mechanism shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a greatly enlarged perspective of four of the can gates shownin side elevation in Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the coinoperated can dispensingmechanism.

As illustrated in the drawings, my improved apparatus has a housing Hwith a removable front panel P, flanges F and a dispenser D. Removablymounted on the flanges F there is a plurality of magazines, one of whichis shown in Fig. l. The magazine M has side frames or panels I connectedby spacer bars 2. A plurality of slightly inclined trackways T areformed in the magazine M by pairs of angle-irons 3 mounted on the framesI. The angle-irons 3 are so disposed on the frames I that their higherends are flush with the edge of one open side of the magazine M (Figs. 2and 4) and their lower ends are spaced from the edge of the other openside of the magazine M (Figs. 3 and 4) to form a discharge well W havingthe angle-irons 4 on the said o her g of the mag n M.

Each trackway T is provided at its lower end, where it debouches intothe well W, with a gate G. Each gate Gr (Fig. 8) is formed by a wireball 5 having convergent sides 5-a, end 5-12 and hooks 5-c about rods 6mo nted in the frames I (Fig. 3). It will be noted (Figs. 3, 4 and .3)that the ball 5 of the gate G of one trackway '1 depends from its rod 6to overlap the rod 5 of the gate G of the next lower trackway T.

Communicating with the lower end of the well W there is an inclinedtrackway T -I formed by angle-irons. I mounted on the frames I andextending from the angle-irons 4 of the well W to a point suitablyspaced from the other side edge of the magazine M. (Figs. 4 and 6.) Atrackway T- -2 formed by angle-irons 8 mounted on the s framed I isdisposed above and parallel with the trackway T-I and extends downwardlyfrom the junction of the lowest trackway T with the well W to a pointadjacent the other side of the magazine M, its lower end beingobstructed by one of the tie rods 2. The angle-irons 8 have portions 8-aprojecting downwardly from the lower end of the trackway T2 andregistering with the angle-irons l of the trackway TI.

Suitably mounted below the trackway T-I there is a gate GI formed by twoparallel rods 9' slidable on two of the tie rods 2 and having portions9-a curved backwarclly about one of the,

tie rods 2 to limit the movement of the gate G-I in open position. Therods 9 are connected by a rod III with a suitable electrically operatedactuator for the gate G -I, such as a solenoid II. A return spring I2attached to one of the rods 2 and the rod I0 is provided to bias thegate G--I into closed position. (Fig. 9.)

Suitably pivoted on one of the frames I there is a switch lever I3(Figs. 4, 6 and 9) which depends into the lower end of the trackway T--Iand is provided with a spring (not shown) to bias the lever I3 intoposition to open the switch S (Fig. 6) in circuit with a coin-actuatedswitch S! and the solenoid II.

It is to be understood that each of the magazines mounted in the housingH is provided with its electrically operated dispensing mechanism, abovedescribed, that a single coin-actu- I will now describe the use andoperation of my improved device. When the magazine M has been fullycharged with cans C,-as illustrated in Fig. 4, the cans C, rolling fromthe topmost trackway T and fed downwardly through the well W,

fill the trackway TI, the foremost'can C- l, j the lowesttrackwayT andthe dispensing trackhaving passed off of the angle-irons l of thetrackway T-l, is supported by the rods 9 of the gate G-l which is closedby the springlZ, the solenoid ll being inactive. The can Clrestingagainst the portions 8-a of the angle-irons 8 displaces theswitch lever .13 and thereby closes the switch S. I

The parts beingas shown in Fig. 4, the device is conditioned to vend.

When the vendee has set the manually-actuated switch to control thedispensing mechanism of the magazine containing the cans of the juicedesired and the proper coin is inserted in the coin-slot M of the switchSl, the switch S-l is closed by any suitable means, thereby energizingthe solenoid H which functions to open the gate G-l (Fig. 6) permittingcan C-l to pass by gravity from the magazine M and through the dispenserD of the housing H, to the vendee. When the gate G.] is withdrawn frombeneath the can Cl, the can C-I moving downwardly releases the lever I3which under its springs pressure functions to open the switch S toole-energize the solenoid I I to release the gate G! which is closed byitsspring l2. It is to be understood that the parts are so designed andrelated that the movements of the gate G'-l are such that the can Cl isdischarged by gravity and its following can C.-2 is retained by theclosing gate G-l, and presses the lever [3 to close the switch S, theswitch Sl having become open by passage or the coin, so that the partsare again as illustrated in Fig. 4.

It is obvious from Fig. 4 that the gates G of the trackways T aremaintained in closed position so long as there are cans C in the wall Wup to the level of each gate G. As illustrated in Fig. 5 so soon as thecans C in the well W are fed below a gate G, the gate G is opened bypressure of the rolling cans C in its trackway T, to permit the cans Cto feed into the well W and the trackway T-l.

The trackway T-2 is provided in the otherwise waste space inmagazine M,intermediate way T --l-, so as to provide a storage space for a extracans C-3 which are manually stowed in and removed from trackway T2 asdesired. Having described my invention, what I claim is: In a device forvending liquid containers, the combination of a magazinefor thecontainers; a dischargechute in said magazine; a gate for opening andclosing said chute;jan electric solehold for opening the gate whenenergized; a spring forclosing the gate when the solenoid islie-energized; a coin actuate'd switch for energizing the solenoid whenit is closed; a second switch to tie-energize the solenoid when it isopened; a spring to open said second switch; and a lever to close saidsecond switch, said lever extending into said chute, the parts being sodesigned and related that a container in the chute, when the gate isclosed, presses said lever to close said second switch, and when thegate is opened releases said lever to open said second switch. LEO 'J.C. CATTANACI-I.

REFERENCES CITED I The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:'

Peters f Apr. 7, 1942

